circonstances soient telles, que vous croyiez devoir conclure le traité avec la Porte, vous feriez sentir que vous ne pouvez pas le mettre à l'exécution qu'il ne soit ratifié, selon l'usage de toutes les nations. L'intervalle entre la signature d'un traité et la ratification doit toujours être une suspension dhostilités." The fortifications of El-Arich and Alexandria are to be strengthened ; and General Kléber is assured that there will arrive, in the course of the winter, at Alexandria, Burlos, or Damietta, some French ships of war ; by which the General is to send to France a body of 600 mamelukes, in order that the latter may see "la grandeur de la nation," and on their return to Egypt, in a year or two afterwards, give a favourable account of the French manners and language. In case mamelukes cannot be obtained, Arab hostages, or even El-Beled scheicks, will suffice. *

On or about the 9th of August Commodore Sir Sidney Smith, with the Tigre, Theseus, and the two or three Turkish men of war that remained on the Egyptian coast, made sail from before the western harbour of Marabou, and on the 16th anchored in Baffa road, island of Cyprus. No time was now to be lost. Buonaparte had appointed to meet General Kléber on the 24th, at the town of Rosetta ; but, dreading the reappearance of Sir Sidney Smith's two ships, he embarked, at 10 p.m. on the 22d, on board the Muiron, bearing the flag of Rear-admiral Ganteaume The French accounts say, that at this moment a British frigate was signalled off the port ; which we doubt ; it might, however, have been a Turkish corvette.

On the 23d the two frigates made sail out of the harbour. On board the Muiron, besides General Buonaparte, were Generals Berthier and Andréossi ; Messieurs Monge, Berthollet, and Vivant-Denon ; Buonaparte's aide-de-camp M. Lavalette, and his secretary M. Bourrienne. On board the Carrère, commanded by Commodore Dumanoir-le-Pelley, were Generals Lannes, Murat, and Marmont, and the distinguished literary character, M. Parceval-Grandmaison. Three small vessels, the Revanche, Indépendant, and Foudre accompanied the two frigates. The Foudre, however, not sailing so well as had been expected, was ordered back to Alexandria.

Thus importantly freighted, the two French frigates, in company with their two remaining tenders, the better to avoid the British cruisers, kept close along the African shore. A constant wind from the north-west occasioned the little squadron to be 20 days traversing 100 leagues. At length the wind changed in their favour ; and passing Cape Bona unseen, the Muiron and Carrère, made the island of Corsica. On the 1st of October the frigates cast anchor in the port of Ajaccio. Here Buonaparte heard of the capture of Mantua, the battle of Novi, the invasion

* Victoires et Conquêtes, tome xi., p. 220.

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